Skylight assembly with specific shading devices to minimize thermal heat and excessive light from high angle sunlight

ABSTRACT

Skylight assembly with specific shading devices to minimize thermal heat from high sun-angle sunlight is disclosed. With precisely engineered shading devices creating a daily “eclipse” effect, certain high sun angle light will be limited or eliminated, while allowing lower sun angle light full entry into a building. The “eclipse” devices will be permanent and will not require any daily or routine adjustments or maintenance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Problem Solved: Roof mounted skylights produce more light than is required at high sun angles and therefore more heat from the excess sunlight. The excess solar heat gain negatively impacts the energy performance of the building and creates discomfort for the occupants.

Other methods could be temporary shade screens above or below the skylight that would have to be installed and removed continuously throughout the year, or very costly mechanical devices that could be operated at certain times of the day. Other solutions are inconvenient and very costly.

With precisely engineered shading devices creating a daily “eclipse” effect, certain high sun angle light will be limited or eliminated, while allowing lower sun angle light full entry into a building. The “eclipse” devices will be permanent and will not require any daily or routine adjustments or maintenance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As stated above, roof mounted skylights produce more light than is required at high sun angles and therefore more heat from the excess sunlight. The excess solar heat gain negatively impacts the energy performance of the building and creates discomfort for the occupants. The invention claimed here solves this problem.

Specific shading devices and treatments will create an “eclipse” effect to manage and reduce excess solar gain at prescribed higher sun angles. The management of the excess solar gain will enhance the comfort level and energy performance of the building.

The claimed invention differs from what currently exists. To our knowledge there are no current products that specifically create positive shading for skylights only during high sun angles. This product provides a daily eclipse effect without any adjustments or mechanical means to alleviate excess light and heat during high sun angle periods, and can be applied to new or existing skylights that are manufactured of various material(s) such as fiberglass, glass, poly vinyl chloride, acrylic, polycarbonate, or other material(s) commonly found in the skylight industry. The claimed invention will provide the same effect on skylight surfaces or flat or dome shapes.

This invention is an improvement on what currently exists. To our knowledge there are no current products that specifically create positive shading for skylight during high sun angles. This product provides a daily eclipse effect without any adjustments or mechanical means to alleviate excess light and heat during high sun angle periods.

With precisely engineered shading devices creating a daily “eclipse” effect certain high sun angle light will be limited or eliminated, while allowing lower sun angle light full entry into a building. The “eclipse” devices will be permanent and will not require any daily or routine adjustments or maintenance.

The Versions of the Invention Discussed here Includes

-   1. a perforated or solid metal form of circular, elliptical, square     or other shapes suspended above a skylight supported by a wire mesh     security screen. The form will be a predetermined size and shape and     will be mounted a predetermined height above the surface of the     skylight dome to provide the maximum eclipse effect for that size     and shape of skylight. -   2. a perforated or solid metal form of circular, elliptical, square     or other shapes suspended above the surface of the skylight dome and     supported by metal arm supports that are fastened to the skylight     frame. The form will be a predetermined size and shape and will be     mounted a predetermined height above the surface of the skylight     dome to provide the maximum eclipse effect for that size and shape     of skylight. -   3. a translucent acrylic form of circular, elliptical, square or     other shapes suspended above the surface of the skylight dome and     supported by metal arms that are connected to the metal skylight     frame. The form will be a predetermined size and shape and will be     mounted a predetermined height above the surface of the skylight     dome to provide the maximum eclipse effect for that size and shape     of skylight. -   4. a translucent acrylic, glass or other material form of circular,     elliptical, square or other shapes attached to the inner or outer     surface of the skylight dome -   5. a tinted or dark acrylic, metal or other material form of     circular, elliptical, square or other shapes attached to the inner     or outer surface of the skylight dome -   6. a dark or black form of circular, elliptical, square or other     shape made of paint or coating material and applied to the inner or     outer surface of the skylight dome by spray or brush applications -   7. a translucent, dark, tinted or black form of circular,     elliptical, square or shapes that is formed directly into the     skylight dome during the manufacturing process

Relationship Between the Components

All of the material shapes whether (4, 5, 6,) applied to the skylight dome surface or (1, 2, 3) suspended above the skylight dome will create an “eclipse” effect that will provide positive shading of the skylight dome surface during high sun angle portions of the day. Each application will allow full sun penetration into the skylight assembly at certain lower sun angle periods but will increasingly block excess sunlight from penetrating the skylight surface during predetermined high sun angle periods of the day. The eclipse effect is vital to managing the solar gain and resulting solar heat produced by skylights at high sun angle periods. The various materials and applications will produce a like effect and will allow for conditions where security screens (1, 2) are required by safety or building code standards and for conditions where no safety screens (4, 5, 6,) are required.

How the Invention Works

The desired effect of creating an artificial “eclipse” of the sun each day during high sun angle periods will be created by using any of the prescribed methods and materials. The shaped material forms will perform the same function whether suspended above the skylight surface or adhered directly to the inner or outer surface of the skylight surface. The suspended elements will allow for applications where protective screens are required over the skylights. The shaped forms will perform the desired function of positive solar shading in all applications and with any of the methods and materials.

How to Make the Invention

The eclipsing materials are developed and applied during the manufacturing process of the skylight products. The materials that would be suspended above the dome will be manufactured and fastened to the security screens or arm brackets during the manufacturing process. The material(s) applied directly to the skylight dome in a disc shape will be adhered to or applied to the inner or outer surface of the skylight dome during the manufacturing process of the skylight assembly. The hard form materials i.e. metal discs/ellipticals or other shapes and translucent or opaque acrylic discs/ellipticals or other shapes will be produced by the skylight manufacturer and applied to the skylight dome or the security screens during the manufacturing and assembly process. The material discs/ellipticals or other shapes that will be adhered directly to the inner or outer surface of the skylight dome will be applied to the surface with a spray or brush application during the assembly phase after the skylight dome is manufactured. The circular, elliptical or other shapes formed directly into the skylight dome will be formed during the manufacturing process.

All of the described elements are equally necessary as they address various conditions where skylights are specified for installation. Many skylight specifications require externally mounted security screens to be supplied with the skylight which then would require the eclipse disc to be applied as a part of the external screen. Many skylight specifications do not require externally fixed security screens and will therefor require the eclipsing disc to be directly applied to the surface of the skylight dome. As skylights have been in use for over 50 years and are heavily used in current construction a variety of methods and materials is required to meet the varied conditions and requirements.

All of the methods and materials could theoretically be interchanged to create the desired eclipse effect. For example a translucent acrylic disc could be fastened to an externally mounted security screen, or a solid metal or perforated metal disc could be adhered to the surface of the skylight dome. The need for the various materials is dictated by the ease and cost of manufacturing and installation.

How to Use the Invention

To solve the problem of minimizing or eliminating the excess heat and light from skylight during high sun angle periods a positive shading device must be employed. The eclipsing disc materials and methods of this invention provide a simple and affordable process for a person to apply to new or existing skylights. Because the invention is only applied to or above the skylight dome the process of application is relatively simple and can be achieved by any person installing or servicing the skylight products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure one (1) shows the eclipse unit with the eclipse black out disc installed on a security screen above the skylight dome. This application would be utilized when security screens are required or preferred by the customer or by local building code. The drawing shows the eclipse formed on the skylight dome as a result of the shading/blackout from the disc mounted on the screen above.

Figure two (2) shows the eclipse adhered/attached to the skylight dome directly creating the eclipse effect on the skylight. This application would be utilized when an external security screen is not preferred or required for installation. 

1. Description: A roof mounted skylight system for the purpose of illuminating the interior of a building with sunlight. Most common skylight captures sunlight and directs the light into a building from sunrise to sunset. Light levels introduced into the building vary from very low to very high, depending on the time of day or angle of the sun. In the morning low angles of the sun, a skylight will produce very low light levels and in the mid-day hours the high sun angles will produce a very high level of light, in most cases, too much light which also creates more heat in the area being lit by the skylight. A mass, or coating will be mounted above, or applied on the top of, inside of the skylight dome to block out a predetermined amount of solar energy. The mass can be of various shapes, sizes and material. The mass produces the effect of a Solar Eclipse by coming between the sun and the skylight as the solar angles get higher (increase). The SE will begin shading the amount of light that hits the skylight lens as the sun or solar angle increases, which will minimize the amount of solar gain in the higher solar angles. The Solar Eclipse “SE” will provide minimal or no shading during the lower sun or solar angles. The concept is similar to mounting a shade shelf above a window on the side of a building to minimize sunlight coming into the window during higher solar angles. Any size or shape aperture/skylight Any type of translucent material covering aperture/skylight opening i.e. plastic, glass metal, coatings, etc. The skylight may be a single lens/dome or multiple lenses/domes. The skylight may be any type of roof-mounted unit. The skylight can have a frame of any type of material or no frame. The SE can be of various shapes and sizes The SE can be of any material or thickness The SE can be translucent or non-translucent The SE can be solid, translucent, opaque, or perforated The SE can be mounted, applied, or adhered directly to the dome/lens on the inside or outside of a dome or lens The SE can be mounted above the skylight with brackets The SE can be mounted at any height above the skylight The S can be mounted to an existing frame above the skylight such as a safety screen The SE can be passive or non-passive The SE can be a part of a new or existing skylight system 